Imitating Christ

Glory to God!

Yesterday the Lord ministered to us as He set our feet in a spacious place and set people free from affliction, anguish of soul and the oppression of the enemy (see Psalm 31:7,8). Hallelujah!

The Lord then spoke to us about the pathway to greatness and showed us how the kingdom of this world is completely opposite to the Kingdom of God. He showed us how in the world, greatness is rooted in pride and is about comparing oneself to others and being better than others. In the Kingdom, greatness is rooted in humility and is about comparing oneself to God and considering others better than oneself. The pathway to greatness in the world is up (self-promotion, selfish ambition, competetive spirit, dependence on self). The pathway to greatness in the Kingdom is down (self-denial, dying to self, dependence on God). Whoever wants to be great must become a servant/slave (Mt 20:24-28). Whoever humbles himself like a little child is the greatest in the Kingdom (Mt 18:1-4). We must imitate Christ and have His attitude - the humble King (Php 2:1-9).

• Humility is becoming nothing so that God can be everything.
• Humility empties us of self so that we can be filled with God.
• Humility is having no confidence in the flesh, but every confidence in God.
• Humility is complete dependence upon God.

We praise God for His revelation to us and for continuing to teach us how to live the Kingdom life wherever we are.

We are called to imitate Christ as His disciples and this week we are starting our next 8-week discipleship course on Tuesday evenings and at one of our Life Groups on Thursday evenings. We completed our first course before the summer and are greatly encouraged by what God did during the 8 weeks. Our aim is to have the whole church go through the course and to continue to have the discipleship course available for newcomers. On Saturday 7 September from 10:00 - 15:00 will be the next introduction day for the discipleship course.

Upcoming events

31.08. - International Jesus March: Click here for more information

07.09. - Introduction to KLF Discipleship Course from 10:00 - 15:00

"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

 

A Redemptive Community

Glory to God!

The Lord is speaking to us about His goodness and His glory and yesterday He showed us the following:

• God is good. Man was made made in God's image to reveal His nature and goodness. Gen 1:27,31
• Because man aligned himself with evil, he ceased to be good.
• Even if man is perfectly obedient to the Law, man can still not attain his original goodness. Rom 3:20
• Christ came to reveal the goodness of God and to restore man to his original goodness. 2 Cor 5:21
• Those who are in Christ are a new creation, created good. 2 Cor 5:17; Eph 2:10
• God's divine power gives the believer everything he needs to be good and to reveal God's goodness. 2 Pet 1:3,4
• The goodness of God is revealed when He is compassionate, gracious, abounding in love, slow to anger, faithful, forgiving and just. Ex 34:6
• The glory of God is the revelation of His goodness. Ex 33:18,19
• God calls every believer to reveal His goodness and to overcome evil with good. 1 Pet 3:8-18
• The believer must set apart Christ as Lord in his heart and choose to reveal God's goodness. 1 Pet 3:15
• Those who reveal God's goodness bring people in touch with God. 1 Pet 3:18

The Church must live redemptively, participating in the divine nature and revealing the goodness of God so that people are brought in contact with God through her. 

We praise God for His revelation to us and for teaching us to be a community that reveals His goodness and glory. Hallelujah!

Upcoming events

31.08. - International Jesus March: Click here for more information
07.09. - Introduction to KLF Discipleship Course from 10:00 - 15:00

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 2 Peter 1:3,4

 

Making room for God

Glory to God!

It is always exciting when God's people respond radically to His call and yesterday we sent out Johannes Mühleisen as he embarks on a 2 year mission work with YWAM in San Pedro in the Dominican Republic. God is touching our people with a greater passion for Him and many are being stirred to serve the Lord sacrificially.

Yesterday the Lord spoke to us about how we attract His manifest presence. This is what He showed us:

• The apostle Paul writes, "It is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus and who put no confidence in the flesh." Phil 3:3
• Religion is man's attempt to reach God in his own effort and depends on ritual (outward circumcision), form (worship according to tradition and outward appearance) and self-righteousness (dependence on self to be right with God).
• The way of the Spirit is not outward or dependent on man but is dependent on the Spirit and the righteousness of Christ.
• True circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit of God. Rom. 2:28,29; Acts 2:37
• True worship is by the Spirit of God. Jn 4:24
• True righteousness is dependent on Christ's righteousness. 1 Cor 1:30
• It is as the Church depends on the Holy Spirit and places her confidence in Christ to be right with the Father, that the Lord manifests His presence.
• The Church must learn to make room for God to do His work and not get in the way by depending on ritual, form or self-righteousness to move God.
• God is moved and manifests His presence when His people wait on Him and rely on Him rather than on themselves. 
• The Church must learn to depend completely on God so that she can boast in Him alone.
• "Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'" 1 Cor 1:31

After God's Word to us we worshipped the Lord in Spirit and truth and the Lord began to manifest His presence. As He did so, the power of God was present to heal (Luk 5:17; 1 Cor 5:4) and the Holy Spirit began to minister to many people as we prayed for one another. Hallelujah!

We are excited about what God is showing us and for teaching us how to be a people of His Spirit, attracting His manifest presence for His glory and the benefit of His people and the lost. 

Upcoming events

17.08. - Introduction to KLF Discipleship Course from 10:00 - 15:00
31.08. - International Jesus March: Click here for more information
07.09. - Introduction to KLF Discipleship Course from 10:00 - 15:00

 "It is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus and who put no confidence in the flesh." Phil 3:3